


the hard truth

by asmaanixx



Category: Ishq Mein Marjawan 2
Genre: Confessions, Confrontations, F/M, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asmaanixx/pseuds/asmaanixx
Summary: When Kabir questions Riddhima's bond with Vansh, Riddhima decides to tell Vansh the truth.
Relationships: Riddhima/Vansh Raisinghania
Kudos: 2





	the hard truth

Riddhima took her seat at the dining table. The Raisinghanai family had been busy conversing about a prospective groom one of their relatives was thinking of marrying. Riddhima, because she didn’t know who this relative was, remained quiet, and focused on simply eating her meal.

Vansh too, for the most part kept quiet except when he was specifically asked for his opinion on the matter. Riddhima knew there was something disturbing him for he only gave curt responses to his family’s various questions.

She placed a hand on his, and he startled. It took him a moment to smile back at her, but it didn’t last long. He removed his hand from her touch with the excuse of returning back to his meal. Riddhima turned her attention back to her full plate. Though it was a mixture of his and her favorite foods, it no longer looked appetizing.

In their room, Riddhima sat before the vanity, taking off her jewelry. She looked up, and saw Vansh enter. Their eyes met briefly before he looked away, and headed for the cupboard to take out his change of clothes for the night. She watched him walk into the bathroom. There was still an air of tension lingering around him. Her jewelry removed, she headed to the cupboard to take out her own set of night clothes. She leaned against the wall, and patiently waited for Vansh to come out.

He could be stressed about something related to work, but she somehow got the feeling that wasn’t the case. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, but there was something in his eyes. A multitude of questions swimming around, but not one of them being answered. Vansh never hesitated to ask her something before. So why now?

The bathroom door clicked open, and Vansh walked out. Again, their eyes met briefly before he looked away.

She held his wrist, and asked, “Is everything okay?”

He gave her a tight smile, and simply nodded.

He moved away from her, and Riddhima knew he lied. Everything was not okay.

She changed her clothes, removed her makeup, and got into bed. She waited for Vansh to join, but he remained busy with his laptop. Her eyes heavy, she eventually succumbed to her sleep.

* * *

It was early morning, and Riddhima was in the garden picking flowers for the morning prayers as she always did. It was a quiet routine that she came to be fond of. She would walk around the bushes plucking the assorted colorful plants, and Vansh would be in his makeshift basketball court, shooting some hoops.

Today however, the lingering tension around Vansh increased. He had stepped aside for a few minutes, and when he came back he was handling the ball far more aggressively than he usually would. Riddhima knew it was futile to speak to Vansh directly right now. Rather than share what was bothering him, he would simply snap, and tell her to mind her own business. Instead, she headed in the direction he came from, and was surprised to see Kabir seated in his police jeep. He was on his phone laughing away as if he had no care in the world.

Riddhima approached him, and patted him on the shoulder.

“Hang on one sec, I’ll call you back.” Kabir spoke into the phone, and hung up. Directing his attention towards Riddhima, he smiled at her while she continued to scowl.

“Tum yahan kya kar re ho?” Riddhima asked.

“Tumse milne aaya tha silly.” He answered, lightly toying with her hair.

She immediately took a step back. “Tumhara matlab kya hai?”

Kabir sighed. “Riddhima, tum ne jasoosi karna chod diya, fine. I accept ki yeh sab ki bas ki baat nahi hai. In fact, bina kisi training ke jo sab tumne kiya, it’s really, truly commendable.”

“You still didn’t answer my question Kabir.” She said sternly. “Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

“Arre, meine bataya na.” Kabir leaned forward. “Mein tumse milne aaya hoon.” He clasped her hand. “Dekho Riddhima, tum yahan sirf Vansh ke upar jasoosi karne aayi thi. Shaadi bhi sirf issi wajah se ki. Ab agar jasoos hi nahi raho gi, toh biwi bane kar kya karogi.” He gently tugged on her arm. “Tum mere saath chalo. Tumhe ab yeh natak karne ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

Riddhima pulled her hand away. “Tum pagal toh nahi ho gaye? Vansh is my husband Kabir. Jasoosi meine issi liye chodi because I love him.”

“Kaunsa pyaar Riddhima?” He asked. “Woh pyaar jo sirf jhoot, faraib, aur dhoke ke neev pe bana hai? There’s no future for this kind of love Riddhima.”

Riddhima pursed her lips, and blinked fast. “You don’t know that.”

“Of course I do Riddhima.” Kabir insisted. “Police wala hoon. Aise kayi cases dekhe hai meine. All it takes is one lie,” He pinched his fingers together, “one lie to break apart years long relationships. Aur yahan toh sirf do mahino ka rishta hai, that too with an extremely volatile monster.”

“He’s not a monster.” Riddhima gritted.

“No?” Kabir sat back in his seat. “So, he didn’t stop you from contacting anyone outside the house? He didn’t take away your phone, or put restrictions on you from even stepping outside the mansion?” Riddhima looked away. “Moonh morne se sach nahi badal jayega Riddhima. That man has hurt you far more times than he can ever love you.”

With watery eyes she looked at him. “And you love me?”

Kabir held her hand again. “Of course I do.”

“Then why did you tell me to marry someone else?” Riddhima asked. “If you loved me, how can you possibly tell me to go into the arms of another man?” Kabir’s hand loosened its grip over hers. Riddhima nodded, “Yes, he hurt me Kabir, but so have I. He only ever asked one thing from me, to  _ never _ betray his trust.” She chuckled, “And that’s all I ever did."

She choked as she remembered how Vansh had crumpled into a fetal position after the last remaining memory of his mother had been burnt to ashes. She may not have set it to fire herself, but she certainly had laid out the specific events that led to it.

Riddhima wiped her tears, sniffled, and in firm words told Kabir, "I may have gotten married to him with less than good intentions, but that's not the case anymore. I am going to honor my marriage with him, fulfill every single vow that I took with him."

Kabir scoffed, "Do you really think he's going to accept you after knowing your involvement with me? He's going to kick you to the streets."

Riddhima smiled. "Then so be it. Whatever happens, it'll be between me and my husband. There's no need for you to interfere."

Kabir chuckled. "Fine Riddhima. Mein bhi dhekta hoon kis mein zyaada dum hai: tumhare ishq mein yeh phir mere janoon." In a more intimidating tone, he warned her, "The faster you see the truth, the better it will be for you Riddhima."

Riddhima shivered. The engine roared to life, and Kabir, at last, left the mansion.

As she walked back to the garden, Riddhima knew it was time for her to come clean about her past with Kabir. She had tried a few times before, but Vansh had always refused to listen, citing the past should remain in the past. They had tried to move on together, and for the most part it had worked. But for Riddhima, the guilt of all that she had done always held her back from fully committing to Vansh. If she wanted the marriage to truly succeed, she knew that can no longer be the case.

Once she reached the garden, she noticed Vansh was no longer there. Perhaps he had to attend some meetings early. Or at least she had hoped that was the case. Seeing Kabir in the driveway had made her certain he was the reason behind Vansh’s foul mood.

She sighed as she walked into the mansion. If Kabir did say something to him, Vansh wasn’t going to easily open up about it to her. Rather, he would seethe in his own jealousy, and use all his resources to figure out if what Kabir was telling him the truth, or simply playing his little games with him. In this matter, Riddhima preferred it if Vansh heard the truth directly from her, rather than fall prey to a manipulated one.

Seeing the door to Vansh’s office firmly locked, she knew she would have to table the hard discussion for the night.

* * *

Riddhima stared at the small microchip in her hand. In ways of concrete evidence, she didn’t have much to prove her innocence. If Vansh was to look at her phone records, he would see the numerous calls she made to Kabir, but he would never be able to ascertain as to what the conversation was. Between her and Kabir, it would simply become a matter of he said, she said. If Vansh was to see the multitude of photographs she had clicked with Kabir, or all the gifts they had sent each other, she would never be able to deny them. It was all done from a place of love after all. But that love had existed in the past. It had no place in her present, and definitely not in the future she kept dreaming of.

She placed the microchip along with her letter of confession, and sealed it inside of an envelope. Vansh had continuously refused to hear her words out loud. Maybe he would give her written words a chance instead. She kept the envelope on his writing desk, where she knew he would visit to put away the files he had been working on today. She hoped his eyes would land on the envelope addressed to him. If not, she would have to steel her heart, and tell him everything herself.

* * *

Hours had passed since she had written her confession. While she waited for Vansh’s response, Riddhima had busied herself in painting a portrait in the piano room. She glanced at the said red piano, and the haunting tune Vansh would play in remembrance of his mother came to her mind. She put her paintbrush down on the ledge of the easel, and walked over to the piano. She sat down, and looked at all the ivory keys. She wondered for how many hours Vansh must have sat here to master the instrument. And the tune he played? Was it something his mother had taught him, or was it something he composed himself?

She pressed on a random key, and the note rang loud in the open room. She pressed another random key, and it mingled with the previous one. It didn’t sound so good. She sighed. There was no point for an ignorant person like her to be seated behind such a beautiful instrument. She was about to get up, but stopped, seeing Vansh take a seat beside her. He glanced at her briefly before he turned his attention to the piano. His fingers swiftly moved over the ivory keys, and Riddhima was mesmerized by how he managed to fill the otherwise quiet room with so much peace, and serenity.

Several minutes had passed with Vansh playing one beautiful piece after another. He would occasionally look at her with a soft smile, and that would be more than enough for her to blush. At last, he stopped playing, and the comfortable bubble they had been in, slowly started to deflate.

“Tumne letter parha?” She asked quietly.

Vansh nodded.

Riddhima’s heart thudded. “Kuch kehna hai tumhe?”

He looked at her, and said, “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

Riddhima’s eyes watered. “You’re not mad?”

He nodded his head. “Thoda sa toh hoon. Itne dino se jhoot aur dhoka jo deti rahi.”

Riddhima lowered her head. “I know. Agar koi saza dena chahte ho, then I’m ready.”

“Saza toh tum bhi de sakti thi.” Vansh said. “Woh chip Kabir ko easily kabhi bhi de sakti thi.”

“If I was still spying on you, then yes.” She said, facing him. “He could have easily proven you as a murderer with it. Tum jail mein hote, aur mujhe azaadi.”

“Then why didn’t you?” He asked.

“Because I love you.” She confessed. She looked down, and held his hand. “I don’t know if the chip is enough to prove my loyalty to you Vansh. I don’t know if my words or my actions will ever be enough to show you how deep my love goes, but all I know is that I do. Agar ho sake toh mehsoos kar lena. Toh shayad pata chale.” Her words broke away, as she choked on her tears.

Vansh cupped her cheeks, and gave her a gentle kiss. Riddhima held his wrists, and pressed her forehead against his.

“I trust you Riddhima.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Vaise bhi, I don’t know of any other woman who would busy herself painting a picture of my mother, when she didn’t know what her own future would hold.”

Riddhima glanced over her shoulder at the nearly finished portrait behind her.

Looking back at him, she said, “I didn’t know if you would want me after you learnt the truth. Or anything related to me.” She shrugged. “Given all the pain I gave you, I figured the least I can do is return your mother to you.”

Vansh’s eyes watered. He held her hands, and told her, “Riddhima, you took a huge step today by telling me the truth. And in a lot of ways, that makes you a lot stronger than I will ever be. Aur agar tum hamare rishte ko sach much ek mauka dena chahti ho, then so will I.” He lightly touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “Let’s just put Kabir, Ragini, everyone else behind us, and just start fresh. How does that sound?”

Riddhima nodded, and laughed. “It sounds great. I would like that very much.”

They leaned forward, and kissed each other, feeling fortunate that unlike many others, they were able to have another chance in saving their marriage.


End file.
